Top Model at The Hilton in London!!!

Posted on March 27, 2012 by tamikadoubell

WOW

– What an incredible, fabulous experience this was!!

Being in the heart of London as a South African representative for TOP MODEL WORLDWIDE and feeling more proudly South African than ever!

Two weeks in the UK – one of which was entirely dedicated to the runway show and its surrounding PR and events.

The whole experience was something I’ve been looking forward to for some time!

And what a gloriously rewarding adventure it was!!

Held at The Hilton Metropole in London, the show featured models from all around the world showing the designs of renowned designers & labels – including Gianni Lilliu, Luna Sky, Analili New York by Daisy & Mac Bermuda, Fabryan, Eva Grygo, Wot The Frok by Naomi Quarrinton, Garcia by Daisy & Mac Bermuda, Remus Uomo, Gingerbread and Omar Mansoor, who showed at London Fashion Week this year!

Probably my favourite of the events leading up to the show was the VIP Pre-show launch party held at a nightclub in SOHO!

It was such a radical nightclub! I love the floor!

Everyone was there – models, judges, sponsors, stylists – and we all just met each other and partied the night away!

The theme was “Naughty or Nice” and, well, I bought some devil horns, a bowtie and a tail:)

The actual show was totally nerve-racking!

But I didn’t fall on my behind so I’m well pleased! Ha!

The winner was a super girl from Nigeria who I became great friends with!

A few days after jet-setting home, I had to down a Redbull and take myself off to The Loop Nightclub in Cape Town to MC the Traffic Clothing Winter Collection Fashion Show!

Yikes, still feeling the backlash of an 11-hour flight earlier in the week, I was not my prettiest!

- At least I was behind the microphone this time and not on the runway!

It was a show put on by Younique Concepts – started by one of South Africa’s top female DJ’s Vanessa Holliday, in this pic below.

Also in the pic below is the owner of The Loop nightclub, Mark Lifman.

It was an incredible event run by a very efficient and professional group of people – all at Younique Concepts!

There was a HUGE crowd and amazing music by Monique Pascal which the 10 models supplied by Twenty Management modeled to!

There were brilliant prize give-aways from the likes of Rikkis Taxis, Traffic clothing and the Pepper Club – amongst others!

And sponsors/contributors for the night included GQ and Glamour Magazines, Redken, Gordon’s Gin, Vida e caffè, Le Chocolatier, Soft Lips and more!

…So in other words it was a fabulous night enjoyed by all

I had an amazing time in the UK! Still sorting through all of my photos.

I made invaluable contacts, met brilliant girls from all over the world… and have got some golden opportunities!! I will say no more…. watch this space!

On one of the days we managed to go to Buckingham Palace -

Thought I saw Harry peeking out from one of the rooms….

Hehe!

Click HERE to view all the photos from my trip

Xxxx

>> Update on my Work! <<

Posted on March 7, 2012 by tamikadoubell

The past few weeks have seen me very busy here in the film & entertainment industries in Cape Town!

Something I am very proud of is the recording of a few radio adverts for the main radio station where I am from – the Eastern Cape – Algoa FM.

A couple were for companies situated in Port Elizabeth (my hometown), including Greenacres Hospital and also my family’s business Doubell Machines & Equipment. And then one for a new business venture, Skybok, which I have started with my brother. It’s an online video profiling website which goes live at the end of March.

Here is a snap of me in studio:

I attended some cool events last month, including the Red Carpet Fashion Show at the The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay here in Cape Town:

You can view the rest of the photos by clicking HERE.

I also attended the Xtraordinary Women’s Success in High Heels event at The Cape Royale Luxury Hotel & Spa:

You can view all the photos from the event by clicking HERE.

Here is me with my goodie bag (i love goodie bags!):

I MC’d the SKYYVODKA Pool Party held at The Cape Milner Hotel:

You can view more photos by clicking HERE.

And I recorded some voice over work for in-store promotions at Shoprite & Checkers!

I filmed a commercial for Thorpe Park Theme Park in The U.K:

And I was asked to cover an event for the couture label FCM, who held a Fashion Party at Club 169 in Longstreet here in Cape Town:

See my article HERE.

Lo and behold- I got yet another goodie bag! (YESSSS!)

I am off to London tomorrow for Top Model Worldwide (here are articles where I have written about it in the past if you want to know more):

http://tamikadoubell.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/top-model-worldwide/

http://tamikadoubell.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/a-sleigh-ride-through-my-latest-adventures-in-the-industry/

And I thank The Herald’s Weekend Post for the lovely write-up I received this past weekend about it:

When I get back to South Africa on March 20th, I am looking forward to seeing my uncle David Aldo, who is flying in from Los Angeles to do a tour of South Africa.

He is a singer in Los Angeles who started out singing at the Polo Lounge in Beverley Hills. He has been blessed to have performed at such events as Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher’s wedding, Rod Stewart’s birthday and other private events for stars Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore, Michael Douglas, Robbie Williams and Janet Jackson amongst others.

He was last in South Africa when he opened for Lionel Ritchie on his tour.

I personally flew up to Durban to watch the concert and was a VERY proud niece!

Here is one of his music videos:

And here are snaps I took at the Lionel Ritchie concert:

His producer is the well-known Benjy Mudie, who was recently a guest judge on Idols SA – Click HERE to watch Benjy’s interview.

Before I fly off, I have to finish up work for the new SKYYVODKA ‘Mix-a-cocktail’ iPad application.

I recorded the voice-over for the app’s tutorial yesterday and today I shoot the tutorial itself (my hands guiding you through the app).

So a madhouse before I pack and board the plane, haha! But it’s all worth it at the end of the day

Wish me luck for my trip and please think of me on the 17th March at the Top Model runway show at The Hilton Metropole, London!!

Xxxx

The FCM Fashion Party March 2012

Posted on March 6, 2012 by tamikadoubell

The FCM Fashion Party held at Club 169 on Longstreet this past Saturday night was a huge success.

Arriving to a glass of champagne and a leopard print goodie bag filled with delights – including the latest copy of the Marie Claire magazine, a lip gloss, a sparkling water, free beauty treatments and more – I was impressed with the party that was awaiting me.

Gorgeously decorated chocolate cupcakes were on offer to guests and a pumping crowd and photographers circled the surroundings of what used to be the old Cape To Cuba restaurant.

Models adorned with FCM designs walked amongst the crowd, showing off the talent of designer Ferial Dawood and her hot couture label.

- Here she is, on the right:

Me with the designers from Phi Casa, Aneeqah Stellenboom & Ilhaam Dalwai:

Me with FCM models & the designer from RedBow in the centre, Rochelle Abrahams:

Designers from Phi Casa and RedBow were present, enjoying the cool tunes and glam designs of the clothes.

The evening began at 21:30 and ended well-past midnight.

The party was held in honour of the FCM label.

See my pre-event article to read more about the details of the label, its designer and the party line-up: http://tamikadoubell.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/the-fcm-fashion-party/

Tamika Interviews Stephen Friedman

Posted on March 5, 2012 by tamikadoubell

He’s an entrepreneur in the television industry, a model, a presenter and an award-winning surfer.

My next interviewee has his own travel show, his own radio show and a string of achievements in the modelling, television and surfing worlds.

You may remember him as being voted one of COSMO’s “Hottest Men Alive” or perhaps from when he was voted as CLEO Magazine’s “Second-Most Eligible Bachelor in South Africa”.

The Blueprint Travel Show was his brainchild whilst modelling in Cape Town when he saw a niche in the market for a series that shows the culture of places.

Since then, the 25-year-old has been a jetsetter around the globe as well as through life as he follows his motto of “Find Your Adventure”.

I met up with him at The Grand Beach Cafe to find out more.

Tamika: So where are you from originally?

Stephen: Proud to say I’m from Durban.

Tamika: Where did you go to school?

Stephen: Crawford College. I hated school. I learnt more from travelling than from what I learnt in school. It’s a sensitive topic, don’t get me started.

Tamika: What did you do after school?

Stephen: I was competing in the World Surf Tour for several years, travelling around the world since the age of sixteen. Mr Price was one of my main sponsors and due to my contract with them, they made me the face of the Red Surf brand. Cleo Magazine soon got hold of my team manager and one thing lead to another and I was a centrefold in their October issue back in 2007. A month after I did the Cleo magazine shoot, Cosmopolitan Magazine got hold of me. Before I knew it, I was on a flight to Johannesburg to shoot for their 2008 calendar. I started to get a lot of media attention and exposure outside of the surf industry, in all forms: Radio, TV and Print. Boss Models kept on phoning and emailing me, saying I should utilize all this exposure and move to Cape Town so that they could manage me and my career. At the time I was planning on going to Hawaii for the winter surf season but my gut told me that I should take a chance, so I moved to Cape Town. You can read my whole bio on my website if you want to read up more about me - www.stephenfriedman.weebly.com.

Tamika: What kind of training did you do for acting, if any?

Stephen: I did drama at school. It was fun, but I didn’t take it too seriously.

Tamika: What would you say it is that you do primarily?

Stephen: I have been busy with my TV show; it’s called The Blueprint Travel Show. It has taken me over two years to grow it and build it up from just an idea I wrote in my little black book. To be honest, it has been such an up and down hill experience where I have had to make a lot of sacrifices and decisions based on what my gut tells me and what’s best for the show. Because of this, we have sold the show internationally and locally – you’ll be hearing about it a lot in the media during the course of this year. I have an amazing team behind me now.

My executive producers are Damien Brown, Mohube Ropodile, Jonathan Zager and Rick Leed. Jonathan and Rick are based in Los Angeles, California, and their CVs alone make me know I’m in safe hands. They’ve produced television shows like Home Improvement, Dr 90210 and well-known movies, such as the film What a Woman Want. I’m actually off to LA soon to go and get ready to start shooting the show again. We have already shot a few episodes but are just taking a break and getting things ready at the moment. It’s all very exciting. I also have a radio show that’s on once a week which is linked to my travel show’s build up. It’s on Saturdays between 4 and 5pm on Trans Africa Radio which is the biggest online radio station in Africa. You can listen to it on www.transafricaradio.net or on DSTV audio channel 172. I also find myself writing a lot and post some of my pieces on my website. I guess you can call it blogging. I also do modelling …or rather what I call “prop work”, because modelling is not rocket science and I’m not a fan of the industry.

Tamika: Have you done any television commercials? If so, what?

Stephen: I’ve done a lot and to be honest it’s really a blur. I’m not a big fan of TV commercials; they take forever and are extremely boring. Film wise, I’ve been offered a few roles but had to turn them down due to me not really enjoying the actual script. I don’t want to do something for the sake of doing it. If the right script comes along then I will jump into it. I have shot for Visa, Woolworths, Edgars, Mr Price, Jockey, BMW, Nivea, Toyota, C&A (Europe), Otto (Europe), George (Europe), Orange Mobile (Europe), Tichibo (Europe), Aagaurd Jewellery (Europe) and loads of magazines locally and internationally. Those are a few clients off the top of my head. As I said, it’s all a blur and I take it with a pinch of salt. I have been very lucky with work but I don’t take it too seriously. I have just been doing it for the money and have been lucky enough to travel abroad for modelling and it has given me a lot of free time. My main focus is, and always will be, my TV show and my other projects because I like using my brain and I love being creative.

Tamika: What is the most recent you have done?

Stephen: Just shot for the BMW TV commercial this weekend and I was just confirmed for the Jockey Campaign shooting in a week so that will be fun I think.

Tamika: What’s in the pipeline for you at the moment?

Stephen: As I said, I’m off to LA soon. I then start shooting again up in Africa. I’m also just busy with my radio show and an animated short film I am producing. I would like to release it in a year’s time. We’re busy sourcing animators… if you know of any please give me a shout! I really do believe it’ll do well in festivals since this story has never been done before.

Tamika: Who is your agent?

Stephen: I don’t have an acting agent, but I get work for TV and film through my modelling agents. South Africa – Ice Genetics in Cape Town and Star Models in Johannesburg. United Kingdom – Zone Models in London. Germany – Clear Models in Munich and Vida Models in Nurnburg.

Tamika: What are your favourite South African films?

Stephen:The God’s Must Be Crazy. Stupid funny!

Tamika: Where do you party, usually?

Stephen: I love Karaoke! Enough said…. That’s where the parties are fun!

Tamika: What’s in the boot of your car right now?

Stephen: A wet wetsuit! Oh, and a tent.

Tamika: Do you have siblings?

Stephen: Yes I do; three older sisters. They trained me well…

Tamika: What is your health routine like?

Stephen: Surf! Surf! Surf! And eat right… Oh yes and get enough sleep!

Tamika: Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Stephen: Ten years time, well that’s hard to say. But I think I’ll still just be doing what I love – so in the ocean somewhere. Maybe a kid or two… who knows. Right now, I’m just enjoying learning everyday about the world we live in and about myself. That’s what life is about. I just want to be happy.